


One morning in Samwell

by unacaritafeliz



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Dex is in love with Nursey he just doesn't know it yet, Gen, Pre-Relationship, thats becoming a common tag of mine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:07:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23128282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unacaritafeliz/pseuds/unacaritafeliz
Summary: He cracks two more eggs into the saucepan. They're not for Nursey, because Nursey probably won't show up for breakfast and even if he did, he doesn't deserve eggs. It's just, well if Nursey does want breakfast, maybe having bacon and eggs ready for him could be a good olive branch between them. Not that Dex needs to give Nursey an olive branch or anything, but, well, he'd kind of like to know what's been happening to Nursey. Not because he cares or anything. He just wants to know if Nursey's doing everything he can to get back on the ice as soon as he can.And, also, maybe a tiny, insignificant part of Dex might actually miss having Nursey around. But it's mostly the hockey thing.[It's the morning after a Kegster, and Dex is worried about his d-man].
Relationships: Derek "Nursey" Nurse & William "Dex" Poindexter, Derek "Nursey" Nurse/William "Dex" Poindexter, Ollie O'Meara/Pacer Wicks, Pacer Wicks & Derek "Nursey" Nurse
Comments: 4
Kudos: 141





	One morning in Samwell

The Haus is quiet.

The only sounds that can be heard in the kitchen is the soft sizzle of the bacon in Dex's frying pan and the sound of his breathing. Bitty and Jack left for Providence a few hours ago, Chowder had spent the night at Farmer's, Ollie and Wicky are still sleeping off their post-victory Kegster hangovers and Nursey... well, Dex isn't really sure where Nursey is. He saw him leave the party last night, disappearing into the night with a large group of people and far too little clothing for the rapidly cooling weather, but he didn't see him come back home.

Not that he was waiting for Nursey to get back or anything, Dex thinks to himself as he cracks two eggs into the saucepan. He wasn't worried about Nursey, because that would've been ridiculous. Nursey isn't even his linemate at the moment, so Dex has no reason to worry about him. It's just... Dex hasn't really talked to Nursey in weeks - which, yes, technically is mostly his own fault for moving out of their shared room, but Nursey can't go to practice and he's been skipping team meals and meetings a lot recently too. Dex is pretty sure Nursey didn't even come to the game yesterday - which is kind of bullshit because, broken arm or not, Nursey's still a part of the team and the least he could do is show up to their fucking games.

He cracks two more eggs into the saucepan. They're not for Nursey, because Nursey probably won't show up for breakfast and even if he did, he doesn't deserve eggs. It's just, well if Nursey does want breakfast, maybe having bacon and eggs ready for him could be a good olive branch between them. Not that Dex needs to give Nursey an olive branch or anything, but, well, he'd kind of like to know what's been happening to Nursey. Not because he cares or anything. He just wants to know if Nursey's doing everything he can to get back on the ice as soon as he can.

And, also, maybe a tiny, insignificant part of Dex might actually miss having Nursey around. But it's mostly the hockey thing.

The kitchen door suddenly swings open, interrupting Dex's internal monologue. Dex turns around to see Nursey, bleary eyed and sleep rumpled, in a pair of low-riding track pants and a threadbare Henley t-shirt, the edge of his tattoo just peaking out the bottom of his shirt sleeve.

Well, Dex thinks, at least Nursey made it back to the Haus last night.

"Good morning," Dex says, quietly.

Nursey's eyes snap over to Dex and the muscles in his shoulders immediately tense. He glances at the door, obviously looking for an escape route, before eventually settling his eyes back on Dex. He sighs

"Hey, Dex," Nursey says, finally. He bites his lip, distractingly. "I just, uh, breakfast?"

"I made extras if you want some," Dex offers, casually, ignoring Nursey's uncharacteristic lack of eloquency. He nods at the stove. "There's bacon and eggs."

Nursey frowns. He must be surprised, that Dex would be offering him food. It's a valid response, Dex has never willingly offered Nursey food before. Maybe Nursey suspects that the food is poisoned, even though that would be ridiculous because if Dex was going to kill Nursey he'd have already done it and he would've done it in a way that was less incriminating than poisoned breakfast in the Haus where they both live in.

"Oh, uh, thank you?" Nursey says, sounding like he's still trying to work out whether Dex's offer is genuine. "But, uh, by bacon, you mean, like actual bacon, right?"

There's a moment where Dex just stares at Nursey in confusion and anger, trying to work out what the fuck Nursey means by "actual bacon".

Then, belatedly, Dex remembers that Nursey's Muslim. 

Shame and guilt creeps up Dex's spine. He and Nursey have obviously never been close, but they've been teammates and partners for well over two years. They spent a lot of time together, and, between roadies and team breakfasts and kegsters and shared bro-dates with Chowder, have eaten a lot of meals together. There's really no good reason for Dex to continually forget that Nursey is Muslim and yet...

Fuck. He really is the worst sometimes.

"Oh," Dex says, quietly. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. I can make you something else."

"Nah," says Nursey. His eyebrows are still furrowed together in thought. "I can make it myself. But, uh, thanks for trying."

Dex turns down his burner, watching, silently and shamefully, as Nursey opens Jack and Holster's #KosherKupboard with his good arm and awkwardly extracts a frying pan from the shelf with the meat utensils, managing to somehow not topple the entire contents of the shelf onto the ground in the process. He puts the pan on the furthest burner from Dex's and turns the heat on. He grabs the turkey bacon from the freezer - it's right next to the regular bacon, which makes Dex feel extra dumb for not thinking about it before - and sets it besides the pan. Nursey throws butter into the pan and grabs an egg from the carton beside the stove.

And proceeds to immediately drop the egg on the ground.

Nursey sighs, staring forlornly at the smashed egg on the floor between them, as if all his hopes and dreams lie broken there as well.

"Nursey, let me..." Dex starts, unable to watch Nursey's despondent expression any longer.

"No!" Nursey interrupts, his voice just a little too loud. Dex flinches back. "No," he says again, softer this time. He looks up at Dex, his green eyes bright, yet firm. "I don't want your help, Dex."

Nursey's voice is so soft, and Dex nods, helpless to do anything else. He can't look away from Nursey, who seems to be just as unable to look away from him. There's an energy crackling in the air between them, stronger than anything Dex has felt since he moved into the basement, but it doesn't feel as hot and angry as it used to. It feels a little like yearning, which is ridiculous because Will Poindexter is not yearning for Derek Nurse, even if he does miss him a little, tiny, honestly-so-small-it-doesnt-count bit.

The kitchen door swings open with a bang, and the tension in the room immediately dissipates. Dex turns around to see Wicky stroll in; wearing dark sunglasses and a loose grey shirt that Dex thinks might be Ollie's, but still looking remarkably well put together for the amount of alcohol Dex knows he consumed last night. He eyes the egg on the ground before looking up at Nursey, his dumb trademark smirk sitting sideways on his face.

"Nurse, you fucking klutz," Wicky drawls. "Can't fucking take you anywhere."

Nursey's eyes light up. Dex frowns. He doesn't understand why everyone likes Wicky so much when Wicky is such an asshole all the time. Sure, Dex can also be asshole, especially towards Nursey, but his teammates always acknowledge when Dex is being an asshole and shame him for it. It seems that no matter what Wicky says, everyone on the team is scrambling to hang out with him, Nursey especially. Dex has come home more times than he can count to Nursey and Wicky silently cuddled up on the biohazardous couch, watching some dumb Hallmark movie that Dex isn't sure either of them actually like.

"Tell you what," says Wicky, stepping closer to Nursey. "If you clean up that mess and make coffee for Ollie and me, I'll cook your eggs."

Nursey grins, bright and genuine. It's been a while since Dex has seen Nursey smile like that.

"Turkey bacon too?" Nursey asks, almost flirtatiously, looking at Wicky through his long eyelashes. Dex inexplicably feels like he's intruding. "Please, Wicky?"

Wicky laughs, and gently bumps his shoulder into Nursey. "Sure, bro," he says, fondly. "Turkey bacon too. Sunny side up with a runny yolk?"

"God, I love you," Nursey says, knocking his shoulders back against Wicky's before moving away to grab the kitchen towels.

Dex thinks that maybe this is why the team loves Wicky - despite how big of an asshole he can be, his love and affection for his team is evident in everything that he does. Aside from Chowder, Dex can't ever remember making his own affection for anyone in the team obvious. He's not even sure his love for Chowder is obvious - maybe Chowder just knows him.

"Sup, Poindexter?" Wicky says, nodding at Dex as he opens the pack of turkey bacon and starts putting it in the frypan Nursey was using. "Any chance you have any extra bacon? I hate this turkey shit."

"Yeah, there's enough," Dex says. "There's two fried eggs too, if anyone wants them. Sunny side up with a runny yolk."

Nursey's wiping the spilt egg off the floor with a kitchen towel. If he realises that Dex's extra eggs have been cooked the exact way he likes them, he doesn't say anything. But then again, the fact that they've been cooked in bacon fat definitely nullifies any thoughtfulness the egg gesture may have had.

"'S'wawesome," says Wicky, poking at the turkey bacon and through Dex's thoughts. "I'll take them, if that's chill."

Dex nods. He vaguely wonders when Wicky started using the word chill. Maybe he always has? Dex had never really been close enough to Wicky before they were Hausmates to know.

He pops four slices of bread into the toaster.

"So, _Derek_ ," says Wicky, tone suspiciously light and conversational. "I saw you leave the party pretty early last night. Who'd you hook up with?"

Nursey looks up from where he's wiping the floor with a damp sponge and rolls his eyes at their teammate. "I was walking The Waffles home, _Pacer_ ," he says.

"You hooked up with The Waffles?" Wicky asks, turning away from the stove, eyes wide in fake protest. "Like, all three of them? Derek, what the fuck? They're children."

Nursey throws the paper towel roll across the kitchen at Wicky's head, right as the toaster pings ands effectively hides the indignant noise that splutters unbidden from Dex's throat at the thought of Nursey hooking up with any or all of the Waffles. Feeling his cheeks heat, Dex pops four more slices into the toaster and starts buttering and cutting the four just finished, arranging them onto four plates. 

"No, asshole, I just walked them home," says Nursey. He throws the sponge into the sink and leans against the countertop, glaring at Wicky. "Hops and Louis were fucking schwasted and Bully wasn't sober enough to deal with them on his own. I'm a good friend and upperclassman, unlike some people I know."

Dex looks up at Nursey in surprise. It's not like he didn't know that Nursey could be thoughtful and kind when he wants to be, and he certainly does seem to have a particularly soft spot for the new freshmen, but well... it's not like Nursey to be selfless at parties. It's more Nursey's style to get hella drunk and let Nursey Patrol deal with the aftermath. Nursey being responsible at a Kegster is… kind of worrying actually. It means that something is wrong.

Wicky grins, clearly not as worried about Nursey as Dex is. He takes the turkey bacon out of the pan and places the slices onto paper towels. He cracks four eggs into the pan. "Look at that," he says. "Little Derek Nurse, all grown up and being responsible at parties. Oh how the turntables."

Nursey rolls his eyes, pushing away from the counter so he can grab as he grab three mugs from the cupboard. He walks over to their coffee machine, sticking the first cup under and pressing the right buttons. The toaster pings again.

"I mean, it's not like I had much choice," says Nursey. "The trainers will kill me if I have alcohol with the painkillers, y'know?"

The piece of toast Dex is buttering slips from his fingers. Luckily, it lands on a plate, butter side up, instead of on the floor.

"You're still on painkillers?" Dex asks. It's been well over a month since Nursey broke his arm. Dex had assumed he wasn't in pain anymore.

Nursey jumps, like he'd honestly forgotten Dex was there. It kind of stings, to be honest, Dex knows he was being quiet, but for Nursey to straight up forget about him being in the room? That's harsh. Nursey switches the mugs in the coffee maker.

"Uh, yeah?" Nursey says, a little hesitantly, as he hands the finished coffee to Wicky and pulls another mug down from the cupboard. "It still hurts, sometimes. Dr. G said it was okay to keep taking them whenever I needed to so..."

Dex nods, and starts plating the toast, eggs and bacon onto the plates. He's not really sure that Nursey should still be on painkillers, but if the doctor said it was okay... Maybe Nursey should get a second opinion, anyway. They could ask Ransom? Dex knows he's not technically a doctor, but he still trusts Ransom's input on medical issues.  
  
The door swings open again and Ollie shuffles in. He's also wearing dark sunglasses and a shirt he doesn't own, but he looks far less put together than Wicky does.

"Sup, boys," Ollie asks. His voice is scratchy. "Is there coffee?"

Nursey grins, and presses a mug into Ollie's hand. "Perfect timing, O'Meara," he says. "There's half a metric fuckton of sugar in there."

"Derek Nurse, you are a god among men," Ollie says, with a sincere smile as he takes a sip. "It's perfect. Thank you."

"Your boyfriend bribed me with turkey bacon," Nursey says with a grin.

Wicky walks over and presses a kiss against Ollie's cheek. In return, Ollie gives him the softest smile imaginable. Dex sits down at the table with his food just to have something else to look at. Ollie and Wicky are so sweet together, it can be hard to look at them directly.

"Take a seat, babe," Wicky says, walking back to the pan. "Breakfast will be ready in two secs."

There's a brief pause, in which Dex successfully crams a half-slice of toast into his mouth, before Ollie speaks.

"Actually, Pace, can we eat in the reading room?" Ollie asks.

Dex looks up at Ollie. His eyes are obscured by his sunglasses, but Dex can tell his eyebrows are raised in an attempt to communicate something to his boyfriend. He can't help but feel like Ollie and Wicky are conspiring to leave Dex and Nursey alone in the kitchen together.

He's not sure how he feels about that.

"Ollie..." says Nursey.

"Sure, babe," Wicky says. He slides the eggs and bacon from the pan onto two of the plates and hands one to Ollie. The two seniors leave the kitchen before either Nursey or Dex can say anything else.

The Haus is, once again, quiet.

Dex looks at Nursey, who's frowning at the door. The look on his face seems a mix of confused and outright betrayed. Dex can relate.

"Your, uh, breakfast is getting cold," Dex says.

Nursey jumps. "Thanks," he says, putting his coffee down on the table. He brings his food over to the table, and then goes back for a second cup of coffee that he places right in front of Dex.

"Oh," Dex says, surprised. "Thank you."

"It's okay," says Nursey.

He hesitates by the chair at the other end of the table, looking as if he'd take his breakfast literally anywhere else if he were only able to physically carry his plate and mug with his one working hand. Dex should probably offer to take his own breakfast elsewhere since Nursey can't. It'd be the least he could do.

The thing is though... Dex has always been kind of selfish. And he still has so many questions.

"Chowder got a shut out yesterday," Dex says, as conversationally as he can muster, before cramming an entire rasher of bacon inelegantly into his mouth. He figures Chowder's a good talking point; he's always been the one thing that Nursey and Dex can agree on.

Nursey frowns as he finally drops into the seat next to his breakfast. "Uh, yeah, I know," he says, cutting a piece of bacon, egg and toast into a neat little bite. "I was there."

Dex blinks. Nursey wasn't at the game. Dex would have known if Nursey was at the game. He'd felt Nursey like a phantom limb the entire time he was on the ice, and he'd been keenly aware of the empty space on the bench every time he'd looked over for his partner and Nursey wasn't there.

"Oh," says Dex. "You weren't on the bench."

Nursey shrugs, and stabs his fork into a piece of turkey bacon a little harder than is necessary. "I sat in the stands with Jack," he says, without looking up.

Dex frowns. It's super weird for a member of the team to sit in the crowd, even if they're injured and sitting with an ex-captain and current close personal friend. But also, now that Dex is thinking about it, Nursey had been with Jack during the entire kegster too. And, like, Nursey and Jack are friends, but he's never really thought they were friends like that.

"Why did you sit with Jack?" Dex asks.

Nursey sighs. His eyes are still trained on his breakfast. "I don't really want to talk about it with you," he says.

Dex's sighs, and finishes the last of his breakfast. Of course, given their entire relationship to date, it's completely fair that Nursey wouldn't want to talk to Dex about whatever's going on with him, but also... Dex wants to know what's going on with him! He's been acting weird and skipping team events and he's just admitted that something is actually going on with him and, goddamn it, Dex is worried about Nursey.

Fuck. Dex really is worried about Nursey.

But still, if Nursey doesn't want to talk to him, then Dex is going to have to respect that. He's the one that, quite literally, built all the walls between them. He's just going to have to deal with them keeping him out.

"Okay," says Dex, getting up to clean his plate. "I'm glad you were at the game. You missed the last few roadies, I was beginning to think you didn't even want to be on the team anymore."

He means for it to be casual, but he knows his worry seeps into his voice. Nursey doesn't respond for a moment, and then another one, and then...

Shit, Dex thinks, dropping his plate into the sink with a clutter. Shit, wait.

"Nurse?" asks Dex, turning around to look at the back of Nursey's head, panic rising in his throat. "Do you not want to be on the team anymore?"

Nursey sighs, covering his face with his good hand. "Of course I want to be on the team," he says. "I didn't ask to break my fucking arm."

The words hit Dex like a truck. Nursey has been so annoying about his so-called sports injury that it never occurred to Dex to worry about how the injury might be affecting him. It seems obvious now, that being benched for half the season can't have been much fun for Derek.

"Your broken arm isn't forever, Nurse," says Dex, as softly as he can manage. "It's already been a month, you'll be back on the ice with us soon."

"The doctor says it's mending too slowly," Nursey says. Dex can't see his face, but Nursey sounds wrecked, the actual furthest from chill that Dex has ever known him to be, "They said I won't be back on the ice for at least another month, maybe more. And after that I'll need physical therapy and so much practice, like, God knows how long it'll take for me to get back to the level I was playing at before. I just... I think it's a sign for me to move on, focus on something else, you know?"

Dex stares at the back of Nursey's head in horror. Nursey's clearly thought about this a lot. He's actually serious about this.

He's actually going to quit the team.

But he _can't_.

"So, what, you're just giving up?" Dex asks. He knows he sounds too angry, and he knows it's not fair on Nursey, but he can't help it. His worry has always manifested itself as anger. "You're not the only person in the history of sport to get injured, Nurse, and..."

"You think I don't know that?" Nursey all-but-yells. He gets to his feet, turning around to face Dex, with his green eyes shining in a way Dex hasn't seen since they argued about social justice op-eds over breakfast in their freshmen year. "You think I didn't get dragged out of bed by Jack fucking Zimmermann yesterday and didn't think about how pathetic I am compared to him? I know other people have survived worse, but I'm not those people, Poindexter. I'm not going to go pro, so does it really matter if I leave hockey this year instead of next?"

"Of course it matters, Derek!" says Dex, frustratedly. He takes a step closer to Nursey. "You can't just leave me!"

Derek's eyes widen in shock. Dex's words hang in the air, suspended between them. He hadn't meant to say it, but he doesn't really want to take them back.

"Look, Hops is a decent d-man," says Dex, quietly. "But you're better. You're just... you're really fucking good at hockey, Nurse. And I'm a better player when I'm playing with you."

"I..." says Nursey. It's the first time Dex has ever seen Nursey speechless. "Dex... You're the one that left."

Dex didn't exactly expect his confession to change Nursey's mind, but Nursey's blunt reply still feel like a slap to the face. Dex knows that Nursey isn't exactly wrong, though. While Dex can't regret moving out, he knows it isn't fair to ask Nursey to stay when Dex didn't stay himself.

"I know," Dex says. "I just... I needed some space. I didn't mean we shouldn't ever talk to each other and I definitely didn't mean I didn't want to play hockey with you."

Nursey raises an eyebrow at him and shakes his head. "Should've just fucking said that, bro," he says.

"I'm bad at words..." Dex starts.

"Not an excuse," says Nursey.

"I know," says Dex.

Dex feels vulnerable, like his whole chest has been cracked open for his heart to be on display. Nursey shakes his head and turns to look out the window. He looks vulnerable too.

"You obviously don't owe me anything," says Dex, quietly. "But Samwell Men's Hockey will be worse off without you. And I don't think there's a player or coach on this team that's not hoping for you to get back on the ice as soon as possible."

"Except Hops," says Nursey.

Dex smiles. "Including Hops," he corrects. "The kid really looks up to you, Nurse."

Nursey exhales a laugh, a tiny insignificant little thing, but he still looks so unsure.

"I'll let you think it over," says Dex. "But I'm here if you need someone to talk to. Obviously the rest of the team is here for you too, if you don't want to talk to me. Hall and Murray too, of course, and Jack and Rans and..."

"Dex," Nursey interrupts, quietly. "I get it. Thank you."

Dex nods. He still doesn't know how Nursey's feeling, he knows there's probably a lot of Nursey's thoughts that he's won't ever be allowed to know, but the air between them seems calmer now, cleaner. He thinks he may have made a difference, even if it's only nudging Nursey in the right direction.

Maybe he'll get Chowder to check in on Nursey later anyway.

Nursey sits back down at his breakfast and Dex grabs his bottle of water and walks towards the doorway of the kitchen. He hesitates when he's in the doorframe, before turning back around.

"Hey, Nurse?" says Dex. "I'm glad we got to talk this morning."

The corner of Nursey's mouth raises into the tiniest of smiles. Something vaguely like hope swells within Dex at the sight of it.

"Yeah," says Nursey. "Me too."

**Author's Note:**

> I've been writing this for over a year. The ending never wanted to cooperate with me, and I hate most of it, but Wicky was too iconic to live in my drafts forever.


End file.
